


The Mummy

by wickedblack



Series: Harry Carnahan [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Mummy (1999)
Genre: Adopted Harry, Ancient Egyptian Literature & Mythology, Don't Know How To Tag This, Drama, Falling In Love, Fluff, Harry is Evelyn, Harry is a Carnahan, Harry lost the trial, Librarian Harry, M/M, Muggle Harry, Mummies, Necromancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-06-03 02:43:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6593464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickedblack/pseuds/wickedblack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Potter was fifteen when he lost his trial. He was fifteen when he was stripped of his magic and his wand was broken. He was fifteen when he left the Wizarding World. He was fifteen when Howard found him. He was fifteen when he found a family. He was fifteen when he grew obsessed with Egypt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

 

_**THEBES, 2134 B.C.** _

 

_Thebes, city of the Living, crown jewel of Pharaoh Seti the First. Home of Imhotep, Pharaoh's High Priest, keeper of the dead. Birthplace of Anck-Su-Namun, Pharaoh's mistress. No other man was allowed to touch her. But for their love, they were willing to risk life itself._

_To resurrect Anck-Su-Namun, Imhotep and his priests broke into her cript and stole her body. They raced deep into the desert, bringing Anck-Su-Namun's corpse to Hamunaptra, city of the Dead, ancient burial site for the sons of Pharaohs, and resting place for the wealth of Egpyt. For his love, Imhotep dared the gods' anger by going deep into the city where he took the black Book of the Dead from its holy resting place. Anck-Su-Namun's soul had been sent to the dark Underworld, her vital organs removed and placed into five sacred canopic jars. Anck-Su-Namun's soul had come back from the dead but Pharaoh's bodyguards had followed Imhotep and stopped him before the ritual could be completed._

_Imhotep's priests were condemned to be mummified alive. As for Imhotep, he was condemned to endure the Hom-Dai, the worst of all ancient curses. One so horrible, it had never before been bestowed. He was to remain sealed inside his sarcophagus, be undead for all of eternity. The Medjai would never allow him to be released for he would arise a walking disease, a plague upon mankind, an unholy flesh-eater with the strength of ages, power over the sands and glory of invincibility._

_For three hundred years, men and armies fought over this land, never knowing what evil lay beneath it. For three hundred years, we, the Medjai, the descendants of Pharaoh's sacred bodyguards, kept watch._

 

 

_**THE SAHARA, 1925.** _

 

Richard O'Connell fought alongside the French and his friend, Beni. From his place behind the remnants of what used to be a wall, he looked around at the two hundred French men, who were his allies, scurrying through the ruins and then at the screaming horde galloping toward him. He looked back just in time to see the Colonel throw his sword to the floor before galloping away on his white horse.

 

“You just got promoted.” Beni said from his place beside Rick.

 

Rick winced. _Coward_. “Tenez vos positions!” He yelled at his men, for they were his now. Beni was right, he was the one in charge now that the Colonel had deserted. “Steady!” He yelled as he pointed his rifle at the horde. “You're with me on this one, right?” He asked Beni, looking sideways at him.

 

“Oh, your strength gives me strength.” Beni answered without taking his eyes away from his target.

 

Rick couldn't help but frown at him. Beni was a coward, Rick knew that much and so his reaction was quite unexpected and a little bit too poetic to be true. Rick had expected Beni to flee but he remained by Rick's side.

 

But Beni wouldn't really be Beni if he didn't prove Rick right. He seemed to have a habit of doing that. Whenever Rick assumed Beni would do something, he would end up doing that very thing somehow. And so, after a couple of seconds of hesitation, Beni shook his head, let go of his rifle and ran away.

 

“Wait for me!” He yelled after the Colonel.

 

“Steady!” Rick yelled once again, ignoring Beni's retreating form. “Fire!” He yelled once he deemed the horde close enough. The French soldiers obliged and fired.

 

Rick watched as their opponents fell from their horses, in the sand one by one, creating a veil of dust clouding Rick's sight. He kept shooting anyway. He had no choice. It was him or them and he would rather not die today. He kept shooting until he had no bullets left, then he had no other choice but to run. He was no fool, he knew when he had to run. He ran as fast he could until he saw Beni.

 

“Run, Beni! Run!” He yelled as he kept running toward him, enemies hot on his heels. Beni obliged at once. “Get inside, get inside!” What Rick hadn't been expecting was Beni closing the door behind him. “Hey! Don't you close that door! Don't you close that door!”

 

He reached the door a second too late. Beni slammed the door in his face. Rick grunted in annoyance and rested his back against the door. He didn't have time to rest though as he was shot at again. He ran fast, crouched and jumped to avoid the bullets. He lost his guns on the way but he couldn't afford thinking about it.

 

He ran for his life. There were seven or eight egyptians after him and Rick felt like every single one of them was after him. He ran until he reached dead end. He was trapped but he refused to die with his back to them and so he turned around, closed his eyes and accepted his fate.

 

He hears the horses, screech and snort and when he finally decides to open his eyes, the egyptians are gone, they had fled. Rick stood there, frowning, confused by the men's actions. He couldn't have scared them, he was on foot and had no weapons, there was no way he had been the one to make them flee.

 

“You will die.” He heard a rough voice whisper form behind him. He whirled around and came face to face with a statue representing Anubis. “You will die.” The voice whispered again which made a shiver run up Rick's spine.

 

Waves of sand rose up as though it were a hand trying to grab Rick. He yelped and avoided the waves the best he could before running away. He didn't want to be here, something odd and evil resided here, he knew it. He didn't want to be anywhere near it. He ran into the open desert, wanting to be far away from here. He ran until he felt like he was being watched. He turned around and looked up, only to see a group of riders. They were very different from the ones Rick had fought half an hour ago. They were olive-skinned, were wearing black robes and their faces were covered in weird black tattoos, Rick couldn't see what it was though. He decided to ignore them, they were too far away to attack him anyway, and resumed his running.

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry was born in 1900 in this story and so he is 26.  
> Rick is 36.  
> And Jonathan is 31.

 

 

 

_**CAIRO, 1926.** _

 

Harry Potter was obsessed with Egypt and its history. Technically, his name was Carnahan now but he had been a Potter before. He had been Harry Potter for fifteen years, he had also been a wizard for fifteen years. But then, he and his cousin, Dudley, had been attacked by Dementors and Harry had been forced to use his magic to protect his cousin. He knew it was forbidden to use magic outside of Hogwarts but he had no choice. Obviously, the Ministry got involved and Harry had to go through a trial, a trial which he lost. He had been stripped of his magic, his wand had been broken and he had been forced to live as a muggle with no hope to ever returning to the Wizarding World.

 

Harry had then lived with his aunt and uncle for a couple months during which he had suffered the worst kind of abuse ever before Mr Carnahan, Howard, found him and took him in. He had saved Harry and offered him a life, a _real_ life. Howard had become his father, Helen, Howard's wife, had become his mother and Jonathan, their son, had become his older brother. No one questionned Harry being a part of the Carnahan family for he looked a lot like Helen. They had the same tanned skin, black hair and green eyes. No one had ever thought of questionning Harry being Helen's son and Harry couldn't have been happier. He really felt like he belonged.

 

The Carnahans had been so loving and caring that they had managed to make Harry forget about the Wizarding World. From the moment he had met them, he had forgotten the pain and the longing, he had accepted the fact that he was a muggle now and he eventually realized that he didn't really miss the Wizarding World. He enjoyed his life as a Carnahan.

 

Then Howard and Helen died, and Harry felt as though the world had ended. Harry felt like he was cursed for a while. His parents, James and Lily, had died when he had been a baby and then Howard and Helen had died as well. Jonathan was there for him though, he had spent his time reassuring Harry, telling him that none of what happened was his fault. Their parents had died in a plane crash, end of story. Jonathan's reassurances had managed to make Harry feel slightly better but he had only spent nine short years with his parents whereas he had wanted to spend a whole lifetime with them, maybe even two.

 

Terence Bey had starting running the Cairo Museum of Anitquities after the Carnahans' death and he had been generous enough to take Harry as his employee. Harry hadn't been ready to leave the Museum after his parents' death and so he had begged Terence to hire him. He had been over the moon when Terence had finally caved in and had hired him. Howard and Helen had been the reason why he had grown so fond of Egypt and he wasn't ready to leave the Museum and its treasures just yet.

 

Deep in the bowels of the Museum lie the stacks. Rows upon rows of towering bookshelves filled with literature and hitory-realated books. Harry loved these books, they were his entire life. He was standing at the top of a tall ladder between two of these rows and leaning against one of the bookshelves, trying to put some books back where they belonged. He was wearing a black buttonned down shirt and black trousers, his round glasses perched on his nose, he only needed them to read but he kind of liked wearing them. He liked wearing black clothes. He liked blending in and wearing black clothes was the perfect way to blend in his opinion.

 

“Sacred stones, sculpture and aesthetics, Socrates, Seth, volume one, volume two, and volume three.” He listed out loud as he put the books back on the shelf. “And...” He squinted as he looked at the spine of the book. “Tuthmosis? What are you doing here? T, t, t, ,t...” He mumbled as he looked around himself. “T.” He looked down. It was a long way down to the bottom and he was pretty sure he could reach the shelf opposite him justs by extending his arm. “I'm going to put you where you belong.”

 

He gently set the other books down on the top shelf, then turned around and gingerly started to reach across the aisle with the Tuthmosis book. The shelf was a little too far so he stretched, reaching, holding the top of the ladder with his fingertips. He was getting closer, he could do it. Then the ladder pulled away from the shelf. Harry yelped, he let go of the book and grabbed the top of the ladder with both of his hands. The ladder was standing straight up and Harry didn't know what to do.

 

Harry was panting hard, trying to find a way to go down the ladder safely. “Help.” He mumbled under his breath. The ladder was swaying precariously and Harry felt like he could fall any moment. He screamed when he lost his balance and fell forward onto the 'S' bookshelf. Harry sighed in relief when nothing happened. He only had time to take a breath when he felt the bookshelf fall away from him and it crashed into the next bookshelf. Harry slid down the ladder and fell to the floor. He looked up as the domino effect kicked in: each bookshelf into the next and so on. Harry closed his eyes, he couldn't bare to look at what was happening. He was so dead. Terence would cut his head off and feed it to birds.

 

He winced when he heard the last bookshelf crash into the wall. He opened his eyes to see that all the bookselves had fallen and the books were on the floor, pages flying around. He slowly took his glasses off as he stared at the huge mess. “Oops.” He mumbled.

 

“What... How...” He heard Terence mumble and turned around. Harry guiltily bit his lower lip. “Oh, look at this!” Terence said as he walked toward Harry. “Sons of the Pharaohs!” He swore loudly. “Give me frogs! Flies! Locusts! Anything but you! Compared to you, the other plagues were a joy!”

 

“I am so very sorry. It was an accident.” Harry said.

 

“My boy, when Ramses destroyed Syria, that was an accident. You are a _catastrophe_. Look at my library! Why do I put up with you?”

 

“Well, well, you put up with me because uh... Because I can read and write Ancient Egyptian and I can... I can decipher hieroglyphics and hieratic, and, well, I am the only person within a thousand miles who knows how to properly code and catalog this library, that's why.” He said, getting more and more confident as he talked.

 

“I put up with you because your father and mother were our finest patrons, that's why!” He replied. “Allah rest their souls.” He added softly. “I don't care how you do it, I don't care how long it takes, straighten up this meshiver!” He ordered him before storming out.

 

Harry was about to do as he had been told when he heard a crashing sound coming from a nearby gallery. He followed it and ended up standing at the entrance of the room containing all of the objects related to Ramses. “Hello?” He called.

 

No one answered. He looked around, trying to see whether someone was hiding somwhere in the room. It was dimly lit, the only light coming from flickering torches, and so Harry could barely see a thing. Harry grabbed a torch and shuffled through the gallery. “Abdul? Mohammed? Bob?” He called weakly.

 

He jumped when he heard a noise coming from behind him. He walked slowly toward the open sarcophagus and looked at the fake mummy inside. He screamed, literally  _screamed_ when the mummy sat up and screeched at him. His heart had stopped beating only to start back up and beat faster than ever.

 

He bit his lower lip to prevent himself from cursing out loud when he saw Jonathan sit up in the sarcophagus, right beside the mummy, laughing his arse off. “Have you no respect for the dead?” He asked his brother, outraged by his behavior.

 

“Of course I do. But sometimes I'd rather like to join them.” Jonathan joked.

 

“Well, I wish you would do it sooner rather than later before you ruin my career the way you've ruined yours.” Harry said as he put the mummy back into the sarcophagus, where it was supposed to be laying. He slapped Jonathan's cheek weakly. “Now get out.”

 

“My dear, sweet, baby brother.” Jonathan said as he clumsily got out of the sarcophagus. “I'll have you know that, at this precise moment, my career is on a high note.”

 

“High note, ha! Jonathan, please, I'm really not in the mood for you. I've just made a bit of a mess in the library, and the Bembridge scholars have rejected my application form again.” Harry sighed dejectedly as he sat down. “They say I don't have enough experience in the field.”

 

Jonathan crouched down in front of Harry and smiled reassuringly. “You'll always have me, Harry.” Harry couldn't help but smile back. “Besides, I have just the thing to cheer you up.” He said as he went back to the sarcophagus.

 

“Oh, no, Jonathan, not another worthless trinket. If I have to take one more piece of junk to the curator to try and... sell for you.” He finished weakly as Jonathan handed him a little golden box.

 

Harry frowned and took it from Jonathan's hand. “Where did you get this?” He asked without taking his eyes off the box. It looked old, really old, like Ancient-Egypt kind of old.

 

Jonathan shrugged carelessly. “On a dig down in uh... Thebes. My whole life I've never found anything, Harry. Please, tell me I've found something.”

 

Harry looked the box around and found a little push-button. He pressed it and the box opened, revealing a folded parchment. “Jonathan.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I think you've found something.” Harry replied as he pulled the parchment out of the box, a giddy smile on his face. He unfolded the parchment and nearly gasped when he discovered a map.

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

 

 

Harry didn't waste time and decided to bring the map to Terence as soon as he noticed the cartouche. He knew that one. He could have known it anywhere. He rushed to the Curator's office, Jonathan hot on his heels.

 

“What do you want?” Terence asked harshly.

 

“You might want to see this.” Harry simply replied as he handed the map over. Terence stared at the map for a long while and Harry couldn't keep the smile off his face. “You see the cartouche there?” He asked as he walked around the desk to stand next to Terence. “It's the official royal seal of Seti the First, I'm sure of it.”

 

“Perhaps.” Terence muttered, his voice filled with doubts.

 

“Two questions.” Jonathan jumped in. “Who the hell was Seti the First, and was he rich?” He asked, an excited laugh escaping his lips.

 

“He was the second Pharaoh of the nineteenth dynasty, said to be the wealthiest Pharaoh of them all.” Harry told his brother, shaking excitedly.

 

“Good, that's good. I like this fellow, I like him _very_ _much_.”

 

“I've already dated the map. It's almost three thousand years old and if you look at the hieratic just here, well, it's Hamunaptra.” Harry explained, kind of proud of himself.

 

“Dear God, don't be ridiculous.” Terence scoffed. “We're scholars, not treasure hunters. Hamunaptra's a myth told by ancient Arab storytellers to amuse Greek and Roman tourists.” Terence said, Looking Harry straight in the eye.

 

“I know all the blather about the city being protected by the curse of a mummy nonsense, but my research has led me to believe that the city itself may have actually existed.” Harry said, talking a mile a minute.

 

“Are we talking about _the_ Hamunaptra?” Jonathan asked, narrowing his eyes.

 

“Yes. The City of the Dead. Where the earliest Pharaohs were said to have hidden the wealth of Egypt.” Harry said, knowing that this exact part would catch his brother's attention.

 

“Yes, yes, in a big, underground treasure chamber.” Terence scoffed at Jonathan's comment. “Oh, come on. Everybody knows the story. The entire necropolis was rigged to sink into the sand on Pharaoh's command.” Harry was mesmerized by the passion appearing in his brother's eyes. “A flick of a switch, and the whole place would disappear beneath the sand dunes, taking the treasure with it.”

 

“As the Americans would say, it's all fairy tales and hokum. Oh, my goodness!” Terence yelped as the map caught on fire. “Look at that!”

 

Terence let the burning map fall to the floor. Both Harry and Jonathan rushed to it, trying kill the fire. But they were too late, half of the map had disappeared already.

 

“You've burnt it! You've burned off the part with the lost city!” Jonathan cried out in frustration.

 

“It's for the best, I'm sure.” Terence replied, his voice void of emotion.

 

Harry looked at Jonathan who staring right back, his mouth hanging open in shock. Harry couldn't believe his own eyes. The map had been their only way to find Hamunaptra, a city hundreds of people would die to see. Harry could only begin to imagine how many historical treasures were laying inside the city. Finding the city would have been a perfect way for Harry to learn more about the Pharaohs, to learn things only he would know. But Terence had destroyed the map and Harry's hope along with it. He didn't understand why a Curator would do such a thing.

 

“Many men have wasted their lives in the foolish pusuit of Hamunaptra. No one's ever found it. Most have never returned.”

 

 

 

_**CAIRO PRISON, THE FOLLOWING DAY.** _

 

“Come, come! Step over the threshold.” A little, plump Egyptian man said with a thick egyptian accent, smiling widely at both Harry and Jonathan as they arrived at the prison. “Welcome to Cairo Prison, my humble home.”

 

Harry honestly failed to see how his idea to come here was a good one. He just wanted to turn around and leave. He wanted to go back to his library and never come out again. He simply didn't feel safe in a prison. But he wanted answers concerning the map. Harry had had to question Jonathan for endless minutes until Jonathan had finally admitted that he had not found the box on a dig down in Thebes but that he had stolen it. Harry had thus forced Jonathan to come along along with him.

 

“You told me that you got it on a dig down in Thebes.” He whispered at Jonathan as they made their way through the prison, following after the man.

 

“Yeah, well, I was mistaken.”

 

“You lied to me.” Harry accused him.

 

“I lie to everybody. What makes you so special?”

 

“I am your brother.” Harry argued.

 

“That just makes you more gullible.”

 

“Jonathan, you stole it from a drunk at the local casbah.” Harry said, louder than necessary. He couldn't keep the frustration off his voice.

 

“Picked his pocket, actually, so I don't think it's very good...” Jonathan pulled Harry by his arm, trying to make him go back but Harry was having none of it.

 

“Stop being so ridiculous.” He said as he pulled Jonathan along after the man. “What exactly is this man in prison for?” Harry asked the man as he walked a little faster to keep up with him.

 

“Oh, this I did not know.” The man replied as they stopped in front of some kind of cage. “But when I heard that you were coming, I asked him that myself.”

 

“And what did he say?” Harry asked, intrigued.

 

“He said he was just looking for a good time.”

 

The interior cell door burst open and two Egyptian guards brought a chained man inside the cage. He was struggling and so they shoved him against the cell bars. From the looks of it, he had been here awhile. He had long, wavy light brown hair and had apparently not washed himself for a few days. He was wearing rags and Harry couldn't help but be slightly disgusted by his appearance. He didn't show it though for it was unbecoming.

 

“This is- This is the man that you stole it from?” He asked Jonathan as he pointed at the man.

 

“Yes, exctaly.” Jonathan confirmed quickly, clearly ill-at-ease. “So why don't we just go sniff out a spot of tiffin-”

 

“Who are you?” The prisoner cut Jonathan off. “And who's the broad?” He added, looking Harry up and down.

 

“Broad? What's that?” Harry asked, looking up at Jonathan in confusion. 

 

“I'm just a local sort of missionary chap, spreading the good word and all that,” Jonathan lied as he took a step forward, “but this is my brother, Harry.”

 

“How do you do?” Harry asked the prisoner awkwardly as he also took a step forward to stand next to Jonathan.

 

The prisoner frowned slightly. “Oh, well. Guess she's not a total loss.”

 

“I beg your pardon.” Harry huffed, frowning down at the prisoner. Who did he think he was?

 

The warden shouted something in egyptian at one of his men which made Harry jump slightly in surprise. “I'll be back in a moment.” The warden said, leaving Harry and Jonathan alone with the prisoner.

 

“Ask him about the box.” Jonathan whispered into Harry's ear.

 

“We have found,” Harry began but the prisoner wasn't listening, he wasn't even looking at Harry anymore. “Um, hello, excuse me.” The prisoner turned his head back to look at Harry, glaring slightly at him. “We both found your puzzle box, and we've come to ask you about it.”

 

“No.” The prisoner said, shaking his head.

 

“No?” Harry asked in confusion.

 

“No. You came to ask me about Hamunaptra.” The prisoner said matter-of-factly, ignoring Jonathan's attempts to make him stop talking.

 

“How- How do you know the box pertains to Hamunaptra?” Harry whispered to the prisoner.

 

“Because that's where I was when I found it. I was there.” The prisoner replied, looking at Harry straight in the eye. Harry couldn't take his eyes off the prisoner. He was looking at him in awe. He had been to Hamunaptra and if he had been there, he could tell them where it was.

 

Jonathan took a step forward and crouched in front of the prisoner. “But how do we know that's not a load of pig's wallow?”

 

The prisoner looked at Jonathan, recognition flashing through his eyes. “Do I know you?” He asked.

 

“No, no. I've just got one of those faces.”

 

The prisoner's eyes widened. His fist came flying through the bars, hitting Jonathan square in the face. Jonathan fell to the ground, grunting in pain. One of the guards clubed the prisoner hard across the head who only winced slightly. Harry quickly glanced at his brother before focusing his attention back onto the prisoner.

 

“You were actually at Hamunaptra?” He asked as he stepped over Jonathan.

 

The prisoner smiled widely. “Yeah, I was there.”

 

“You swear?” 

 

“Every damn day.” The prisoner joked, a grin on his face still.

 

“No, I didn't mean that.” Harry replied.

 

“I know what you meant.” The prisoner replied, his grin slipping off his face. “I was there. Seti's place, City of the Dead.

 

“C-Could you tell me how to get there?” Harry asked, a small grin on his face and his eyes shining with excitement. The prisoner blinked once as though he couldn't believe what he had just heard. “I mean, the exact location.” Harry insisted as he bent over slightly to make sure that no one could eavesdrop on their conversation.

 

“Do you wanna know?” The prisoner asked.

 

“Well, yes.” Harry replied as he leaned closer to the bars.

 

“Do you _really_ wanna know?” 

 

“Yes.” He leaned his face right up to the bars, feeling both nervous and excited.

 

The prisoner motionned him to come even closer before he grabbed chin and kissed him full on the lips. “Then get me the hell out of here.” He said as he pulled away.

 

Harry gasped in surprise, his wide eyes and his mouth gaping. He had just been kissed. He had just had his first kiss ever. He had been kissed for the first time by a very dirty and smelly man. He was too stunned to be disgusted. He watched as the prisoner fought the guards inside of the cell but he felt like he wasn't even here. His mind was still stuck on the kiss, on the feeling of the man's lips on his own.

 

“Do it, boy!” The prisoner said before he was dragged through the door and away from the cell by the two guards.

 

Harry shook his head slightly, forcing himself to focus back on the reality. “Where are they taking him?” He asked the warden who had just come back from wherever it was he had gone.

 

“To be hanged. Apparently he had a very good time.” The warden answered. “Wanna see it?”

 

Harry agreed and Jonathan had no choice but to come along. He didn't really want to see the man being hanged but he was Harry's only way to Hamunaptra and Harry couldn't very well let his only chance slip through his fingers. They went up a flight of stairs and Harry himself seated on a chair, next to the warden. Harry could see the gallows courtyard from there.

 

Hundreds of filthy prisoners were gathered here, staring down at the gallows, excited to see someone being hanged. Harry watched, helplessly, as two guards brought the prisoner in.

 

“I would give you a hundred pounds to save this man's life.” Harry tried.

 

“Boy, I would pay a hundred pounds just to see him hang.” The warden replied as the guards draped the hangman's noose over the prisoner and cinched it tight around his neck.

 

“Two! Two hundred pounds.”

 

“Proceed!” The warden shouted at the guards.

 

“Three hundred pounds!” Harry said desperately. The warden didn't answer, he only shouted instructions in Arabic at the guards. “Five hundred pounds.” Harry offered.

 

The warden told the guards to wait and turned his head toward Harry. “And what else?” He asked, looking Harry up and down. “I'm a very lonely man.” He added, setting his greasy, lecherous hand on Harry's thin thigh. Harry swatted the warden's hand away, glaring at him.

 

The warden glared down at the prisoners who were laughing at him. He angrily turned away from Harry and gestured to hangman who immediately pulled the lever.

 

“NO.” Harry yelled as he stood up from his chair. He looked at the prisoner, who fell through the trapdoor, desperately praying to the Gods to not let him die.

 

The warden laughed. “His neck did not break. Oh, I'm so sorry. Now, we must watch him strangle to death.” He added as Harry sat back down on his chair.

 

He knew he had to do something to save this man and quickly. He couldn't let him die. “He knows the location to Hamunaptra.” He knew it was the only option he had left. He had to tell everything to the warden.

 

The warden glared down at Harry. “You lie.”

 

“I would never!” Harry said, offended.

 

“Are you telling me this filthy, godless son of a pig knows where to find the City of the Dead?” The warden said, pointing at the prisoner who was hanging from the rope, trying to fight for his life.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Truly?”

 

“Yes. And if you cut him down, we will give you... ten percent.” Harry bargained.

 

“Fifty percent.” The warden argued.

 

“Twenty.”

 

“Forty.”

 

“Thirty.”

 

“Twenty-five.”

 

“Ah! Deal.” Harry said, smiling happily.

 

The warden groaned at his own stupidity. “Cut him down!” He yelled down at the guard who obliged at once.

 

The prisoner fell to the floor, gasping for breath. Harry looked down at him, smiling smugly. He had done as the prisoner had asked, now he had no other choice but to lead them to Hamunaptra. Harry had kept his part of the bargain, now it was the prisoner's turn to keep his.

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

 

 

_**GIZA PORT, A WEEK LATER.** _

 

 

The port was crowded. Actually it was worse than that. Harry hated crowded places and he so he felt like he had just walked into his worst nightmare. He sighed as he tried not to bump into anyone. He wasn't even sure he was walking straight, his two heavy suitcases were making him stumble left and right. He nearly bumped into Jonathan, who was walking right next to him, several times. He really shouldn't have packed so many things.

 

“Do you really think he's going to show up?” He asked Jonathan, trying to take his mind off the heaviness of his suitcases.

 

“Yes, undoubtedly, knowing my luck.” Jonathan reassured him. “He may be a cowboy but I know his breed. His word is his word.”

 

Harry didn't know if he wanted O'Connell to show up. A part of him wanted O'Connell to show up for he was their map to Hamunaptra. Another part of him wanted O'Connell to stay as far away from him as possible. He couldn't stand being around ill-mannered people and that was what O'Connell was. Only a person with no education would have dared to kiss him like O'Connell had. He still couldn't believe he had let O'Connell steal his first kiss, he hated himself for it. He couldn't stop thinking about him though. O'Connell simply didn't want to get out of his head, and neither did the kiss.

 

“Well, personally I think he's filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel. I don't like him one bit.” Harry said and he meant every last word.

 

“Anyone I know?” He heard a deep voice ask from behind him which made him jump slightly.

 

He turned around and immediately felt like he just got the air knocked out of him. O'Connell was standing right there, in front of Harry. Harry didn't know what to say, he had to admit he was impressed. O'Connell looked nothing like the O'Connell Harry had met at the prison. This O'Connell was shaved and showered, he had a clean haircut and was well-dressed. He even smelled really good.

 

“Oh.” Harry mumbled, looking for something clever to say. “Um, hello.”

 

It was the only thing he managed to say. His mind was blank. The only thing he seemed to be able to do was look at O'Connell. He wasn't even sure he would be able to look away if he wanted to but it didn't matter because he didn't want to look away. Even in his wildest dreams, Harry would have never imagined O'Connell to look as dashing. He had to admit that he wouldn't really mind kissing those pinkish lips now. He wouldn't mind feeling them against his own without the disgusting taste of filth he had tasted the first time.

 

Jonathan chuckled, pulling Harry out of his thoughts. “Smashing day for the start of an adventure, eh, O'Connell?” Jonathan said, enthusiastically shaking O'Connell's hand.

 

“Yeah. Yeah, smashing.” He agreed slowly before checking his pockets.

 

“Oh, no, no. I'd never steal from a partner, Partner.” Jonathan laughed easily.

 

O'Connell laughed right back and Harry liked that sound. He liked the sound of O'Connell laughing, it was deep and rough and really manly. He liked it _very much_.

 

“That reminds me. No hard feelings about the, uh...”

 

“Oh, no, no. Happens all the time.” Jonathan said, waving his hand dismissively.

 

“Mr. O'Connell.” Harry said, catching O'Connell's attention. “Can you look me in the eye and guarantee me this isn't a sort of flimflam?” Harry asked. As dashing as O'Connell looked, Harry still wasn't sure whether O'Connell was really going to lead them to Hamunaptra and he _needed_ to be sure. “Because if it is, I'm warning you-”

 

“You're warning me?” O'Connell cut him off, his eyebrows high. “Boy, let me put it this way, my whole damn garrison believed in this _so_ _much_ that _without_ _orders_ , they marched halfway across Libya and into Egypt to find that city. When we got there, all we found was sand and blood.” O'Connell was so passionate that Harry didn't know how to reply and so he kept his mouth shut. “Let me get your bags.”

 

O'Connell swiftly picked up both of Harry's suitcases and walked up the gangplank and onto the boat without a single look back. Harry's gaze followed him without Harry realizing. He didn't know what to think of O'Connell. Every time he seemed to have made up his mind, something made him change it. He seemed to be a really gentleman now that he was out of prison.

 

“Yes, yes, you're right. Filthy, rude, a complete scoudrel. Nothing to like there at all.” Jonathan said into his ear, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Harry glanced at him and silently cursed him for being so clever.

 

“Bright good morning to all.” The warden said as he appeared beside Harry. He had a smug smile on his lips.

 

Harry sighed. He had completely forgotten about him and their little arrangement. “Oh, no. What are you doing here?”

 

“I'm here to protect my investment, thank you very much.” He replied as he climbed onto the boat.

 

Harry sighed heavily. He had a feeling the man would be nothing but a burden. It had been so stupid of him to offer the man a  part of their foundings. He had had to save O'Connell though. He would just have to put up with the man. He had no choice.

 

He took a deep breath, took one last look at Jonathan and stepped onto the gangplank. He nearly felt naked walking without his two suitcases in hand. He couldn't say he missed the weight though. He didn't bother waiting for Jonathan or looking for O'Connell. He didn't really care about his suitcases anyway, O'Connell had them, they weren't really lost. He wanted to get settled as soon as possible.

 

He walked around the boat for some time, aimlessly. There were a lot of people on the boat, but thankfully not enough for Harry to feel awkward. A small smile appeared on his lips when he felt the boat move, they were finally setting sail. He quickly walked to the edge of the boat and leaned over the rail, watching people waving as the boat sailed away. Harry waved right back at them even though he knew that was no one down there who waved at him in particular.

 

He stared until he couldn't see the shore anymore. He was so excited about his upcoming adventure that he felt like butterflies were flying around in his stomach. He couldn't wait to get to Hamunaptra. He walked back toward the center of the boat, intent on finding his room, then he would find O'Connell and his suitcases.

  
It didn't really take him long to find his room for there were very few rooms on this boat. It was a small room, there was nothing really interesting. It was just a simple room on a boat. He had already travelled by boat once, to get to Egypt. It had been a really long trip but Harry had loved it. It had been his first time but his parents had been there with him every step of the way. It felt weird to be on a boat without his parents but at least, he still had Jonathan.

 

Harry was surprised to see that his suitcases were already in his room, waiting for him on his bed. O'Connell had been here then. He had been thoughtful enough to bring his suitcases right into his room. He seemed to be full of surprises.

 

The night fell quickly and it grew warm enough for Harry to remain on the deck, outside of his room. He found a small table with two chairs and settled with a book. They wouldn't arrive until tomorrow morning so he might as well busy himself with something interesting. The whole book was written in hieroglyphics but he didn't mind. Sometimes he even felt like he'd rather read hieroglytics than English.

 

He put his glasses on and began reading. It was about Hamunaptra. He had read the thing a thousand times already but he couldn't get enough of it. The whole myth was so interesting he wished he never had to put the book down. What he liked the most about the situation was that he would actually get to see the city he had read so much about. He felt like a child the day before Christmas, eager to open his presents.

 

He jumped out of his skin when a heavy bag landed on the table, right in front of him. “Sorry, didn't mean to scare you.” O'Connell said, a wide grin on his face, proof that he wasn't sorry at all and that he was actually laughing at Harry.

 

“The only thing that scares me, Mr. O'Connell, are your manners.” Harry said before focusing back on his book.

 

“Still angry about that kiss, huh?”

 

“Well, if you can call _that_ a kiss.” Harry replied dismissively. He was not angry about the kiss. He had never been angry about the kiss. Deep down, he knew that he had enjoyed it but he couldn't really tell O'Connell that.

 

O'Connell narrowed his eyes at Harry and stared, as though Harry had just dared him to do something. O'Connell then opened his gunny-bag in a sharp movement, revealing a lot of guns. Harry hadn't been informed about O'Connell bringing guns. They were only going to Hamunaptra, a hidden city, no one was supposed to be there and so they wouldn't need guns.

 

“Did I miss something? Are we- Are we going into battle?” He asked, a giddy smile on his face as he let his book fall on his lap, focusing solely on the guns and O'Connell.

 

“Boy, there's something out there.” O'Connell said as he sat down on the chair facing Harry. “Something underneath that sand.”

 

“Yes, well, I'm hoping to find a certain artifact. A book, actually. My brother thinks there's treasure. What- What do you think is out there?”

 

“In a word? Evil.” Harry tried hard not to scoff at that. “The Bedouin and the Tuaregs believe that Hamunaptra is cursed.”

 

“Oh, look, I don't believe in fairy tales and hokum, Mr. O'Connell,” Harry lied. Of course he believed in fairy tales and hokum. He had been a wizard once. Weren't wizards considered as part of fairy tales? “but I do believe one of the most famous books in history is buried there, the Book of Amun-Ra.” He leaned closer to O'Connell. “It contains within it all the secret incantations of the old kingdom. It's what first interested me in Egypt when I was younger. It's why I came here, sort of a- a life's pursuit.”

 

He had never told that to anyone before. He didn't know why he was telling O'Connell of all people. Even Jonathan didn't know how obsessed with the book he was. Only his parents had known. He had told his mother once and then she had told his father. It had been their secret, just the three of them. He hadn't planned on telling O'Connell but once he got started on Egypt, he just couldn't stop talking. He knew that and so he hadn't been able to stop himself from telling O'Connell.

 

“And the fact that they say it's made out of pure gold makes no never mind to you, right?” O'Connell said as he cleaned his guns.

 

Harry knew that his eyes were sparkling and that he was grinning like a fool but he didn't care. Very few people were able to keep up with him when he got started about history and O'Connell seemed to be one of them. Much to Harry's surprise. “You know your history.”

 

“I know my treasure.” O'Connell replied.

 

Harry felt his smile fall a bit. Of course O'Connell would be interested in the treasure. Harry didn't understand why he had thought otherwise for a second. O'Connell couldn't be interested in history. He wasn't that type of guy, Harry didn't need to get to know him to know that much. He cleared his throat as softly as possible and decided to talk about something else.

 

He glanced at O'Connell and the memory of O'Connell kissing him flashed through his mind. He hated himself for not being able to forget about it. But what did people say about someone's first kiss? Something about not being able to forget it? _Ever_?

 

“Um, by the way,” Harry began, not looking at O'Connell. He hoped it was dark enough for O'Connell not to see him blushing. “why did you kiss me?” He felt his heart stutter inside his chest. He wasn't sure he was ready to hear O'Connell's answer just yet. But it was a bit too late to think about that.

 

O'Connell chuckled. He actually _chuckled_ . “I was about to be hanged. It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Harry couldn't believe what he had just heard. O'Connell had kissed him, had stolen his _first kiss_ , just for fun. He couldn't stay here. He couldn't stay in the same area as O'Connell at the moment. He was such a despicable man.

 

Harry felt his eyes water and so he hurried away. He shouldn't be crying. He shouldn't get so emotional. He shouldn't let O'Connell get to him. Of course it had just been a game to O'Connell. Of course he didn't care. He didn't even know him. Why would he kiss him and mean it? He didn't know O'Connell either. He couldn't understand why he cared so much. It was just a stupid kiss. He shouldn't care that much.

 

“What? What did I say?” He heard O'Connell call after him.

 

He caught sight of a camel not far from the table where he had been sitting with O'Connell and so he decided to go there. It seemed like a good distraction from O'Connell. He heard a strange noise and so he looked back, just in time to see O'Connell get up from his chair, a gun in hand. He walked toward some suitcases and pulled a man from behind them.

 

“Oh, what a surprise! My good friend, you're alive!” The man yelped. He had a thick accent, Harry could hear it even from his place far from them. “I was so very, very worried.”

 

“Well, if it ain't my little buddy, Beni.” O'Connell paused as though he was thinking about something. “I think I'll kill you.” He pointed his gun right at Beni's chest which made Harry's eyes widen. O'Connell couldn't be that cruel, right?

 

Beni gasped. “Think of my children.”

 

“You don't have any children.”

 

“Someday I might.”

 

“Shut up!” O'Connell hissed. “So you're the one who's leading the Americans. I might have known. So, what's the scam, Beni? You take them into the middle of the desert, and then you leave them to rot?”

 

“Unfortunately, no. these Americans are smart. They pay me only half now, half when I get them back to Cairo so this time I must go all the way."

 

“Them's the breaks, huh?” O'Connell said in fake sympathy as he lowered his gun.

 

“You never believed in Hamunaptra, O'Connell. Why are you going back?” Beni asked.

 

Harry quickly looked away and focused his attention on the camel next to him. He petted it a couple of times, still listening to O'Connell and Beni's conversation.

 

“See that boy? He saved my neck.” He heard O'Connell say. He couldn't help but look at him and both O'Connell and Beni were looking right at him.

 

Beni looked at O'Connell and slapped his upper arm amicably. “You always did have more balls than brains.” Harry heard Beni say.

 

Harry scoffed, glared at O'Connell and left. He didn't need to hear any more. He was still sore from O'Connell's revelation about the kiss. He didn't need to know that O'Connell was planning on bedding him and then move on. He quickly walked toward his room until he heard a _splash_.

 

“O'Connell!” He heard Beni yell.

 

Harry couldn't help but smile slightly when he realized that O'Connell had just thrown Beni over the rail. Surely, it meant that Beni had assumed wrong, right? He sighed and shook his head as he entered his room. He needed to stop thinking about O'Connell.

 

He quickly got into his nightclothes before going back to his book, dead set on forgetting entirely about O'Connell, just for tonight at least.

 

“George Bembridge,” Harry read out loud, trying his best to take his mind off that awful kiss. “in 1860- 1865 was...” Harry sighed heavily. “Oh, for heaven's sake, Harry, it wasn't that good of a kiss anyway.” He tried to convince himself.

 

He shook his head and walked toward the mirror, looking at his hair which had become a mess. He heard a muffled thud, sighed and bent down to pick up his book. He straightened up and gasped when he caught sight of a man standing right behind him.

 

The man grabbed him by the throat before Harry could even _think_ about moving. He pushed him against the wall and raised his other hand, which was a hook. Harry's eyes widened in fear as he felt the hook press against his cheek. Never before had he wished he was still a wizard. He felt utterly helpless.

 

“Where is the map?” The man asked in a rough voice.

 

Harry glanced toward the table where he had put the map, next to the flickering candle. “There.”

 

“And the key? Where is the key?”

 

“The key? The key?” Harry mumbled. He had no idea what that man was talking about. “What key?”

 

“Harry!” He heard O'Connell yell from outside of his room.

 

The door was kicked open and O'Connell burst in, a gun in each hand. The man with the hook spinned Harry around and held him in front him, using him as a shield. Harry felt the coldness of the hook at his throat and gasped. He had to find a way to free himself from the man's grasp. O'Connell shot a man who had appeared at one of the tiny windows, a lantern exploded and fire spread on the couch. Harry caught sight of the flickering candle. It was his only option. He grabbed the candle and jammed it back over his shoulder, right into the man's eye, who screeched in pain.

 

He let go of Harry who ran to O'Connell as fast as he could. He ran into the hallway as O'Connell kept shooting at the men. He gasped when he realized that the map had remained inside his room. “The map, the map! I forgot the map!” He said as he hurried back to his room.

 

O'Connell grabbed his arm. “Relax. I'm the map. It's all up here.” He said, pointing up at his head.

 

“Oh, that's comforting.” Harry said sarcastically as he was pulled along.

 

The boat was a mess. There were men running everywhere, everyone was shooting around, trying to kill as many as possible. Fire was spreading as well. It took only a handful of seconds for the boat to turn into a large flame.

 

“Hold this.” O'Connell said as he threw his gunny-bag into Harry's arms. Harry gasped at the weight. He remained hidden behind O'Connell. If he stepped away from him, he would be killed anyway and he didn't really want to die today.

 

O'Connell leaned against a wall as he reloaded his gun. He seemed unconcerned by the fact that he was being shot at. Someone shot right into the wall, next to O'Connell's head but he didn't even look up. They shot closer, closer, closer, closer. Harry pulled O'Connell toward him just in time to prevent him from being shot through the head.

 

O'Connell took a deep breath, a gun in each hand, and walked in the open, shooting at every man he deemed his enemy on the way. Harry carefully walked behind him, using O'Connell's body as a shield. They made it safely to the rail and O'Connell turned toward Harry.

 

“Can you swim?” He asked loud enough to be heard over the gunshots.

 

“Of course I can swim,” Harry replied as O'Connell took his gunny-bag back and put it down on the floor. “if the occasion calls for it.”

 

“Trust me,” O'Connell began as he picked Harry up bridal style. “it calls for it.”

 

Harry didn't have time to register the fact that he was in O'Connell's arms before he was thrown over the rail and into the Nile. He gasped as his head broke the surface. He took a moment to look up at the flaming boat. It was a wreck. It would probably sink, sooner rather than later. He waited a moment for O'Connell to join him into the water but he didn't.

 

He started to lose faith after a whole minute without seeing O'Connell but then he saw him jump over the rail and join him. “Where is Jonathan?” Harry gasped O'Connell swam up to him.

 

“He's coming. Let's go.” O'Connell replied as he pulled Harry along, toward the shore.

 

It took them a while to reach the shore. Jonathan joined them halfway through and Harry couldn't contain his sigh of relief. He wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he had lost his brother in that fire. It was the only family he had left.

 

“We've lost everything.” Harry complained as they finally reached the shore. “All of our tools, all the equipment. All my clothes.”

 

“O'Connell!” Harry heard someone shout from far away. He turned around and saw Beni, standing on the other side of the Nile. “Hey! O'Connell! It looks to me like I've got all the horses!”

 

“Hey Beni!” O'Connell shouted back. “Looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the river!” O'Connell was smirking smugly and Harry couldn't help but smile as well. Perhaps it wasn't so bad to have O'Connell with them after all. He had saved Harry's life and so, technically, he was trustworthy, right?

 

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the late update but I promise I will update more often. Also, not proofread yet so I apologize for any typos and mistakes I've made.

 

 

 

_**BEDOUIN TRADING POST, THE FOLLOWING MORNING.** _

 

 

Rick could count on only one hand the number of times he had been ill-at-ease. Now was one of those times. His surroundings were not the cause for his uneasiness, he was used to being in the desert, under the scorching sun. The cause for his uneasiness was the fact that Harry was gone. Rick had made a habit of never trusting anyone, much less merchants.

 

Rick didn't think that Harry was helpless and unable to defend himself but he would be much safer if he remained by Rick's side. And he had been unable to do that. Rick didn't even know why he worried. He shouldn't worry. Harry was an adult and if he wanted to risk his life by wandering around, then he was free to do so.

 

“I only want four!” He heard Jonathan protest loudly, forcing Rick away from his thoughts. “Four! I only want four, not a bloody herd!” Rick couldn't help the amused smile that made his way on his face. He had to admit that it was funny watching Jonathan getting angry while trying to make the camel trader understand him. “O'Connell! Can you believe the cheek?” He asked, turning around to face Rick.

 

“Will you just pay the man.” Rick replied calmly but sternly. The sooner Jonathan paid, the sooner they would be one their way to Hamunaptra. They were loosing precious minutes here.

 

“Oh, for heaven's sake.” Jonathan sighed as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket. “Can't believe the price of these fleabags.”

 

Rick smiled slightly and took a couple steps forward to take hold of the ropes attached to two of the four camels, leading them away from the merchants. “You probably could've got them for free, all you had to do was give him your brother.” Rick said matter-of-factly. He didn't know why he had said that, he had just said it without really thinking about what it would mean for Harry.

 

“Yes. Awfully tempting, wasn't it?” Jonathan joked.

 

Rick looked up from Jonathan's face, just in time to see Harry coming out of a tent. He felt like someone had just knocked the air out of his lungs. The boy was breath-taking. Rick knew where he had gone now, or rather where he had been taken. Some women had taken Harry to get dressed but they didn't seem to have noticed that he was in fact a man and not a woman. They had dressed him in a traditional Bedouin dress. The black outfit matched his hair perfectly and made his skin stand out. They had even added a thin black veil which covered his face from the top of his nose to his chin. It made his green eyes stand out beautifully. Rick had never noticed how green his eyes were before but now that he had, he was enthralled. They were haunting.

 

“Awfully.” He agreed with Jonathan even though he didn't mean it one bit.

 

He wouldn't want to share Harry with anyone. The boy was too beautiful to share, or to belong to anyone other than Rick himself. Harry couldn't be described as muscular or manly, he was petite and thin, almost feminine. His mesmerizing curves were strangely pronounced and extremely visible in the outfit and Rick's mouth became dry. He really needed to stop calling Harry 'boy' for he had just proved that he was not a boy but a man. A very beautiful man. Harry's green eyes met Rick's and Rick knew that he was lost.

 

Harry smiled shyly at him and Rick had to fight hard to keep a grin from forming on his lips. He looked away and looked at the camel at his side just in time to make it seem like he was smiling at the braying camel and not in response to Harry's own smile.

 

 

_**SAHARA DESERT SAND DUNES, AFTERNOON.** _

 

“Never did like camels.” Rick heard Jonathan complain from behind him. “Filthy buggers. They smell, they bite, they spit. Disguting.”

 

“I think they're adorable.” Harry said.

 

Rick couldn't resist and turn his head slightly so that he could see Harry from the corner of his eye. He had a giddy smile on his lips and happily petting his camel. Rick smiled despite himself. He was glad that no one was actually looking at him right now or else they would probably think he was a mad man, smiling only because he was looking at Harry.

 

They went through some minor hardships on their way through the desert. They had to bear the heat of the scorching sun, then they went through a sandstorm. It stopped not long before the sun set. Jonathan and the warden complained all the way. Harry didn't say a word though, he didn't complain once and Rick didn't understand why he felt pride bloom in his chest.

 

Night fell quickly and Rick smiled fondly as Harry's eyelids grew so heavy that he had to fight hard to kep himself from falling asleep. He eventually lost the fight and fell asleep on his camel. He managed to stay upright on his camel for some time and then his head fell on Rick's shoulder. Rick looked at him and he honestly didn't know what to do. He wanted to let Harry sleep on his shoulder, he really wanted to, but it probably wasn't a comfortable way to sleep. He pushed Harry away from his shoulder, making sure that he didn't fall on the other side. Harry's camel brayed and Rick shushed him quickly. There was no way he was letting a camel wake Harry up.

 

He heard a horse neigh. He looked to his left and the moon was bright enough for him to see riders standing at a distance. He recognized them. They were the ones he had seen back when he had been running away from Hamunaptra. The riders' presence could only mean two things. Either they would be allies or they were in trouble.

 

Rick looked away from them and focused his attention back onto Harry. The moon was shining on the side of the younger man's face, making him look ethereal, like an angel fell from heaven. He didn't know how much time he spent staring at him but when he looked up, the sun was rising. Rick wondered if he should wake Harry. The young man would probably like to see the sunrise.

 

He gently shook Harry's shoulder and the young man blinked his eyes open, revealing their intense green color. Rick didn't know what to say and so he merely nodded toward the sun, a little smirk on his face. A wide smile spread on Harry's face as he stared at the rising sun, his eyes were shining.

 

Rick quickly looked away from Harry's face as he turned toward him after a few seconds of staring at the sun. He probably wanted to talk or thank him for waking him up but Rick didn't want to be caught staring. He looked forward and saw horses come their way.

 

“Good morning, my friend.” Beni said once they were close enough to be heard. Rick didn't bother to reply and stopped his camel, facing the place where Hamunaptra would appear.

 

“What the hell we doing?” He heard one of the Americans ask.

 

“Patience, my good _barat'm_. Patience.” Beni told him.

 

“Remember our bet, O'Connell? First one to the city, five hundred cash bucks.” This made him scoff.

 

“A hundred of them bucks is yours if you help us win that bet.” Another American told Beni.

 

“Oh, my pleasure.” Beni replied which made him laugh. There was no way Beni would be able to help them reach the city. He was too much of a coward for that. “Hey, O'Connell. Nice camel.”

 

Rick didn't bother to reply. He merely patted his camel on the head. “Get ready for it.” He told Harry who was right beside him.

 

“For what?”

 

“We're about to be shown the way.” Rick replied and they all stared at the still rising sun until Hamunaptra began to appear.

 

“Will you look at that?” One of the Americans mumbled.

 

“Can you believe it?” Another asked to himself.

 

“Hamunaptra.” Another one mumbled under his breath.

 

“Here we go again.” Rick sighed. He didn't want to be back here but he couldn't really let Harry down now, could he?

 

He heard Beni yell at his camel and so Rick yelled at his as well, his camel running quickly toward the city. There was no way he would let Beni and the Americans win. He and Beni were neck-to-neck, their camels flying forward.

 

Rick groaned when Beni started hitting him with his camel whip, trying to knock him off his camel. He hit him a few times before Rick managed to take hold of Beni and made him stop. “So long, Beni.” Rick said before throwing him off his camel and to the ground.

 

“That serves you right.” He heard Harry tell Beni as he passed him by.

 

Rick couldn't help but smile. He looked back to see whether Harry was far behind him or not, but just as he turned his head, he saw Harry right beside him. He was swatting his camel every few seconds and urging him to run faster. He was grinning hard, his eyes shining with happiness. Rick smiled back and stared at him as he flew past him. He liked this man, he really liked this man.

 

“Go, Harry! Go!” He heard Jonathan yell from behind them.

 

 

_**HAMUNAPTRA, AN HOUR LATER.** _

 

Harry looked at the Americans who were standing over the entrance of a passage. They had hired diggers to do all the dirty work, that is to say hauling rocks and dirt out of the Temple doorway under the guidance of the Egyptologist.

 

Harry was pretty sure that it was the wrong way in the Temple. O'Connell had not protested when Beni had declared that they would enter that way and that Harry, O'Connell, Jonathan and the warden had to find their own way in. Despite everything, Harry trusted O'Connell and if he deemed the temple doorway not important and was sure that he could find a better way in, then Harry would follow him.

 

They were working next to a narrow crevice which weaved its way through the ruins. O'Connell was tying a rope around a large pillar, purposefully hitting the warden with the other end of it every time he tied a knot. Harry had to fight back a laugh at that.

 

Harry looked slightly up and his eyes fell on the statue of Anubis not far from them. He couldn't believe it was there. Well, of course he believed it, he had read it in books but he couldn't believe that he was actually seeing it with his own eyes.

 

“That's the statue of Anubis.” He said to either Jonathan or O'Connell, he didn't really know himself. “Its legs go deep underground. According to Bembridge scholars, that's where we'll find a scret compartment containing the golden book of Amun-Ra.” He looked toward the sun on his right. “Jonathan, you're meant to catch the sun with that.”

 

Rick walked up to him once he was done with his rope. “So, what are these old mirrors for?”

 

“Ancient mirrors.” Harry corrected him. “It's an ancient Egyptiant trick, you'll see.”

 

Rick nodded once and just stood there, awkwardly opening and closing his mouth a few times. “Uh, here, this is for, uh, you.” He said as he handed her a small tool pouch. “Go ahead. It's something I borrowed off our American brethren.” Harry took it and smiled at him gratefully. “I thought you might like it- might need it for when you're... Yeah.” He mumbled awkwardly as he began to walk away. “What are you looking at?” He asked the warden who was staring between Harry and O'Connell.

 

Harry didn't even know what to say, not that he had time. He opened it and grinned when he saw all of the tools inside. It had been sweet of O'Connell to give him the pouch. Harry was not a fool, he knew that O'Connell had actually stolen it from the American but he didn't mind. The only thing he cared about right now was that O'Connell had thought about him when he had stolen the pouch and he had gifted it to him.

 

“Hey, look for bugs. I hate bugs.” The warden said as O'Connell took hold of the rope and jumped down the crevice.

 

“Harry, you go before us.” Jonathan told him.

 

Harry nodded once and attached the pouch to his waist before he took hold of the rope after O'Connell. “You can come down.” O'Connell yelled.

 

Harry obliged. The rope burned his hands slightly as he went down but he ignored it. After what felt like forever, Harry felt O'Connell's hands on his waist as he helped him to the ground.

 

“Thank you.” Harry mumbled, blushing slightly. He looked around. He was pretty sure he was grinning like a mad man as he peered into the spooky darkness. “Do you realize we're standing inside a room no one has entered in over three thousand years?” He asked O'Connell.

 

“Wow. What is that god-awful stench?” He heard Jonathan complain once he had reached the ground. “Oh.”

 

Harry ignored him and went to the mirror closest to the opening. He brushed several cobwebs away from an ancient mirror and then repositioned it on its pedestal, aiming it at a ray of light shining in from the mirrors outside. The ray of light hit the mirror and quickly shot around the room from a mirror to another until the whole chamber is lit up.

 

“And then there was light.” Harry said, extremely proud of himself.

 

“Hey, that is a neat trick.” O'Connell said, smiling slightly at Harry.

 

“Oh my God. It's a _sah-ne-er_.” Harry gasped.

 

“What?” O'Connell asked.

 

“A preparation room.”

 

“Preparation for what?”

 

“For entering the afterlife.” Harry replied, a giddy smile on his face.

 

O'Connell pulled his gun out, clearly ill-at-ease now. “Mummies, my good son. This is where they made the mummies.” Jonathan tried to reassure him.

 

O'Connell merely glanced at Jonathan and stepped forward, taking the lead. He had a torch in one hand and his gun in the other. Harry was quite happy being behind him. He had to admit that he had no idea what they would find in here and so he was happy to be behind O'Connell who could protect him with his _gun_ if need be.

 

Harry jumped when he heard strange noises. It sounded like mice or insects. He looked around and then realized that it was actually coming from the walls. It lasted for a few seconds and then it was gone.

 

“What was that?” Jonathan asked.

 

“Sounds like... bugs.” O'Connell replied, clearly trying to scare the warden.

 

“He said bugs.” Harry whispered, making sure that the warden had heard.

 

“What do you mean, bugs? I hate bugs.” The warden said loudly, looking around to make sure that the noise was gone.

 

They kept going through the passageways until they reached a statue Harry could recognize. “The legs of Anubis.” They had finally reached it. “The secret compartment should be hidden somewhere inside here.”

 

They heard a strange noise again. It was different from the noise from earlier, it was deeper now. They all looked around, realizing that it was coming from the other side of the statue. Then O'Connell handed his torch over to Harry before pulling him behind him. He reached for his second gun and pulled it out, ready to shoot anything he deemed a threat.

 

O'Connell leaped out of their hiding place, Harry, Jonathan and the warden right behind him, only to end up face to face with the Americans, their guns up, cocked and aimed, much like O'Connell's.

 

“You scared the bejesus out of us, O'Connell.” One of the Americans exclaimed. Harry couldn't for the life of him remember their names and it frustrated him.

 

“Likewise.” O'Connell replied before lowering his guns.

 

“Hey, that's my tool kit.” One of the Americans, the one wearing glasses, said as he took a step toward Harry.

 

“No, I don't think so.” O'Connell replied in Harry's stead as he pointed his guns back to the Americans.

 

“Okay. Perhaps I was mistaken.” The American conceded which made the others lower their guns again.

 

“Well, have a nice day, gentlemen. We have a lot of work to be getting along with.” Harry told them.

 

“Push off!” The Egyptologist exclaimed. “This is our dig site.”

 

“We got here first.” Harry challenged him, his eyes narrowed. The Americans raised their guns, O'Connell and Jonathan following suit to defend themselves.

 

“This here's out statue, friend.” An American said.

 

“I don't see your name written on it, pal.” O'Connell replied.

 

Harry looked down at the sandy ground, not really interested in their manly quarrell. It was then that he noticed a tiny crevice right beside him. He kicked a few rocks so that they fell in it and he realized that there was another floor beneath them.

 

“Yes, well, there's only four of you and fifteen of me. Your odds are not so great, O'Connell.” Beni told him.

 

“I've had worse.” O'Connell replied as he aimed one of his guns right at Beni's head.

 

“Yeah, me too.” Jonathan added which made both Harry and O'Connell frown at him.

 

“Oh, look, for goodness' sake, let's be nice, children.” Harry said as he took a step forward and pushed one of the American's gun down. “If we're going to play together, we must learn to share.”

 

“There are other places to dig.” He added, staring intently at O'Connell, putting his hand on O'Connell upper arm. O'Connell stared back at him for a second and then lowered his gun, nodding once and smiling tightly at Beni.

 

 

 

 


End file.
